Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The thick smell of blood slowly faded with the mountain wind. The noisy cliffside fell into a momentary silence, leaving only the reluctant roars of the Spirit Beasts blocked outside.

Lu Sisi and the others' expressions changed drastically. Her eyes went wide, almost popping out of her head. How the hell is this possible?!

Lu Yuanyin was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment before, and she just liked raising spirit herbs and making pills. When did she get so strong? Even more unsettling, she'd just felt a primal fear in her blood emanating from Lu Yuanyin... It felt totally absurd to her.

Her expression flickered with shock and uncertainty as she looked at Lu Yuanyin, her eyes filled with disbelief. "How could you not be afraid of Senior Black Flood Dragon?"

Before, every time she borrowed the Flood Dragon's power, every cultivator and spirit beast would be scared shitless of her. That was how she swept through the secret realm.

Lu Yuanyin snorted coldly.

She'd even drained Huo Wuyan in dual cultivation; why would she be scared of some half-breed Black Flood Dragon?

Lu Sisi glared at Lu Yuanyin until Tong Lanyi's scream rang out from not far away. That's when she snapped back to reality.

Realizing that she had actually been afraid of Lu Yuanyin moments ago, her face burned with humiliation and rage. She stared at Lu Yuanyin, barely hiding the envy and hate inside.

She tightened her hand hidden in her sleeve, certain that Lu Yuanyin must have popped some kind of spirit pill to catch them off guard!!

But before she could think further, a few sharp whooshes came from above. Lu Yuanyin hoisted the alchemy furnace and slammed it right at her. Lu Sisi's face went pale. She instinctively stumbled back, dodging awkwardly, not wanting to face that thing head-on.

Tong Jinyu, however, scrambled to his feet, swinging his iron hammer. His face, swollen and purple, looked extra gross and vicious. He roared, "Round two! You sucker-punched me! I'm gonna flay you alive now!"

"You got the balls to fight me fair and square?!" As he spoke, he raised his hammer, pouring out spiritual energy like crazy, wildly attacking Lu Yuanyin.

Sensing something wrong behind her, Lu Yuanyin didn't dodge or move. She just turned her eyes, then swung the alchemy furnace directly toward Tong Jinyu.

The iron hammer slammed into the rusty furnace with a dull boom. Lu Sisi's ears rang and her head spun. That old furnace that looked as fragile as a pickle jar stood firmly in front of Lu Yuanyin, without even a scratch from such a terrifying blow!

Both of them were going all-out, super aggressive, leaving the onlookers more and more confused.

They'd been friends with Tong Lanyi for years and knew damn well that Tong Jinyu had innate divine strength, a sturdy physique, and years of body refinement, almost fused with his iron hammer. In their hearts, they knew if they went up against Tong Jinyu, they'd probably lose. Yet this so-called waste and idiot they'd always looked down on and insulted was actually holding his own—even getting the upper hand!

And on top of that, there was Lu Sisi lurking nearby... Their faces fell.

Tong Lanyi glared at Lu Yuanyin in the crowd, grinding her teeth in hate, almost breaking them. That fucking bitch!

Scarface and his crew had even forgotten to fight. They were crouched in a corner with their compasses, staring blankly at Lu Yuanyin, who was swinging the alchemy furnace with such ferocity and power. Their eyes gradually went blank.

So that's how alchemists throw down...

Just hoist the furnace and go toe-to-toe...

That's awesome, sis!

The furnace was so huge it practically hid her whole body, only a pair of deerskin boots sticking out, like the furnace had grown legs.

They widened their eyes in shock. Earlier, they thought her offer to help was just lip service. No one expected her to be such a beast in a fight.

Looking at her skinny arms and legs, their faces burned with shame for having underestimated her earlier. They must be getting old...

Every dull thud made Tong Jinyu's face uglier. Though others might not notice, he was increasingly horrified. He realized that after several rounds, not only had he failed to defeat this fool, but her strength was so great that his hands holding the hammer were trembling, and the webbing of his thumb was split and bleeding from the impact.

Sensing the various strange looks from those around him, Tong Jinyu felt his face burn with shame, becoming only more agitated. He attacked even fiercer, charging at her like a mad bear, reckless and desperate.

Lu Yuanyin's eyes snapped open, staring right at Tong Jinyu as he rushed toward her. She could feel the spiritual energy inside her bubbling like boiling water, her limbs trembling violently. A voice kept echoing in her head: kill him, kill him, kill these bastards!

When it came to brute strength, she'd never lose to anyone!

Lu Yuanyin had been refining pills since she was young, carrying a heavy alchemy furnace around as a child. Over the years, even ten thousand-pound mystic iron was no problem for her!

She grabbed the heavy furnace tight, her spiritual power surging instantly. Her entire body felt light and agile, dense spiritual power rapidly filling her limbs. Watching Tong Jinyu rush at her, she heaved the furnace high overhead and smashed it down fiercely on her opponent!

With a dull thunderous sound, dust exploded on the cliffside. Everyone instinctively stepped back, staring at the scene with pounding hearts.

A sharp crack of breaking bones followed. Tong Jinyu let out a miserable scream. His two arms twisted at an unnatural angle, broken white bones piercing through flesh and blood, a ghastly sight!

Tong Jinyu rolled on the ground, clutching his broken arms. "Aaaaah! My hand! Someone! My hand!" Blood and mud covered the ground. He writhed like a fat, squirming maggot, his screams piercing and harsh. Everyone was startled by his pitiful state.

Lu Sisi and the others' expressions changed abruptly.

Scarface's group, however, grinned so wide their mouths nearly reached their ears!

Just as Lu Sisi was about to speak, Lu Yuanyin's gaze shifted directly toward her, eyes full of malice.

A sense of foreboding struck her. The next second, Lu Yuanyin hoisted the furnace and charged straight at her. Tong Jinyu's miserable fate was still fresh in her mind—just looking at the furnace conveyed its brutal force. Lu Sisi dared not meet those blows head-on and retreated, dodging awkwardly. But Lu Yuanyin pursued her like a mad dog, relentlessly smashing the furnace after her, as if determined to crush her to death...

Has this waste gone mad?!

Lu Sisi's heart trembled. "The sect forbids private fighting among disciples! A Yin, stop!"

Though Lu Yuanyin had a harsh and eccentric personality, she was never ruthless. Lu Sisi had rarely seen her so ferocious and violent, as if she wanted to grind her bones to dust. A hint of fear crept into her heart.

Lu Yuanyin sneered. "You didn't think of the sect rules when you snatched my spirit herb just now."

Under her relentless assault, Lu Sisi was caught off guard and struck squarely in the back by the furnace. Her body was sent flying, crashing heavily into a giant tree behind her. She spat out a mouthful of blood, pain wracking her entire body.

She stared at Lu Yuanyin, confused. She hadn't expected that just asking for a spirit herb as usual would trigger such fury. Normally, Lu Yuanyin wouldn't get angry. Lu Sisi clenched her longsword, feeling a mix of grievances. She wiped the blood from her lips and struggled to stand with the sword.

"When did you become so petty? We just wanted a spirit herb to save someone. Why are you being so relentless?!"

Looking at that beautiful face so close—a face that had once made her envious and hateful enough to lose sleep—Lu Sisi bit her red lips, her heart full of mixed emotions. Resentment and hidden hatred seemed to burst forth at this moment. Why? Why could Lu Yuanyin easily obtain everything she coveted? Just because of that face?

Why doesn't Lu Yuanyin just die? Why can't she just die? A bitch like her doesn't deserve to live!

Her face twisted with hatred, making her expression hideous.

Tong Lanyi and the others quickly stepped forward, raising their swords to protect her. They looked warily at Lu Yuanyin, bluffing, "What do you think you're doing? Killing a fellow disciple is a capital offense!"

Lu Yuanyin paused. Her gaze lingered on Lu Sisi's face, and seeing her twisted expression, she was suddenly startled.

She knew Lu Sisi too well. Lu Sisi was extremely concerned about her image. No matter what emotions she harbored inside, on the surface she would always appear pitiful, soft, and beautiful. She would never allow herself to show such a hideous expression in public.

Lu Yuanyin felt that something was off with her own state of mind. It felt like her sea of consciousness was filled with lead, heavy and drowsy, unable to think clearly.

Her heart trembled. She bit the tip of her tongue hard. The sharp pain brought a moment of clarity to her mind.

She swept her gaze over everyone—both human and spirit beast—and saw that all their faces were twisted, with an unnatural fervor in their expressions. Their eyes were bloodshot, their faces flushed, as if they had taken too many drugs.

Lu Yuanyin's heart lurched. Normally, although they hated each other, they wouldn't be so impulsive, as if they wanted to kill each other on the spot... The joy of obtaining the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum had made her lose herself. Spirit herbs of this level naturally had spirit beasts guarding them.

She stepped back and took out the Heavenly Fragrant Epiphyllum. Beneath the ethereal, moon-like, immortal-seeming bloom grew a small, dark purple flower.

That purple spot was only the size of a bean. If she hadn't looked closely, she would have missed it entirely. And the intense, soul-stirring fragrance came from this seemingly ordinary little flower. Thinking of the dried blood on the cliff and the thick, lush vines below, a foreboding feeling crept up in her heart!

She did not recognize this small purple flower, but just from the reactions of the crowd, she guessed that this fragrance would make people impulsive and irritable, unknowingly sinking into a trance and unearthing the resentment and malice buried deep in their hearts...

And the people and Spirit Beasts who had come to pick the spirit grass earlier might have already been driven to kill each other under the spell of the fragrance, their flesh and blood becoming nourishment beneath the roots of those vines. Lu Yuanyin's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

She couldn't help but step back a few paces, her spine stiff, and her blood running cold from her heels to the top of her head.

Lu Yuanyin ignored everything else and quickly turned to leave. Those vines that had originally been quietly lurking at the foot of the cliff seemed to sense that something was wrong with her. They slithered upward like snakes, rapidly sweeping toward them. A surge of green swept toward them, wildly entangling their hands and feet.

Screams came from the people around her.

"What the hell is this! Help!"

"Sisi, save me!"

Several disciples had already been pulled off the cliff by the vines, turning into a putrid blood mist. Lu Yuanyin's expression changed drastically as she watched the green vines blanketing everything.

Before she could escape, she was pulled off the cliff by the vines. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as the vines constricted her, making it almost impossible to breathe. Sharp thorns deeply pierced her flesh, madly absorbing her life force. She quickly drew a dagger and stabbed fiercely at the vines around her waist.

But it only left shallow white marks on the green vines.

The vines around her tightened even more. Lu Yuanyin's head grew heavy. As her blood drained, her body turned cold, as if she had plummeted into an icy abyss. The cries for help around her gradually faded, and a thick smell of blood slowly lingered in her nostrils.

From beside her, Lu Sisi's helpless sobbing reached her ears, making her head ache as if it would split.

Lu Yuanyin frowned deeply. She could almost hear the faint sound of her own bones dislocating. The scene before her gradually blurred, and her fingertips weakly clawed at the hard vines.

Just before she lost consciousness, she seemed to hear a low dragon's roar echoing slowly in her ears...

Author's Note:

I'm here~

The little red envelope continues tonight!